f a son of Sparta or of Rome, when Sparta and Rome were at
their highest levels as breeders of iron men.

It is verily no light thing for the Negroes of the United States to have
produced such a man, such a hero and martyr. It is certainly no light
heritage, the knowledge, that his brave blood flows in their veins. For
history does not record, that any other of its long and shining line of
heroes and martyrs, ever met death, anywhere on this globe, in a holier
cause or a sublimer mood, than died this Spartan-like slave, more than
three quarters of a century ago.

May some future Rembrandt have the courage, as the genius, to paint that
tragic and imposing scene, with its deep shadows and high lights as I
see it now, the dark and hideous dungeon, the sombre figures and grim
faces of the four glorious black martyrs, with Peter in the midst,
speaking his deathless words: "Do not open your lips! Die silent as you
shall see me do."

"Right forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the Throne,
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own."

Transcriber's Notes:

Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_.

The following misprints have been corrected:
"th" corrected to "the" (page 5)
"Nego" corrected to "Negro" (page 11)
"buiding" corrected to "building" (page 16)
"New" corrected to "Ned" (page 19)
"behavoir" corrected to "behavior" (page 23)

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